Teyla's Story
by welsh-nikki
Summary: Teyla/Rodney pairing. Teyla may have realised too late that she is in love with a friend. Told from Teyla's POV. Set at the end of Stargate Atlantis season 4, may be considered AU.


_This is my first Stargate Atlantis Story. It is a romance, set at the end of Stargate Atlantis Season 4, told from Teyla's POV. I have not seen season 5 yet, but it's reasonable to consider this as AU._

_As I am new to the ratings system I have chosen to err on the side of cautiousness, and have given the story a T because of a reference to a minor character death, and because one of the main characters is badly hurt._

**Teyla's story.**

Teyla took a deep breath of the pure fresh air, and looked around her. The ancient forest with its gnarled and twisted trees and wide open glades looked quite beautiful in the soft sunlight of the planet. For the first time in a long while, Teyla felt at peace. Of to her left, she heard Rodney McKay exclaim in excitement. Turning to see what had caught the interest of her team mate, Teyla saw his face lit up in childlike wonder. Teyla smiled to herself, never failing to be amazed at the beauty and innocence of that beloved face. The thought startled her. Rodney was her friend, her team mate, someone she had learned to respect and rely on, but beloved?

Teyla didn't get a chance to investigate that thought, as she was shocked into reality by a loud explosion. She was shocked to see pieces of tree root shoot out around Rodney. Some a few pieces flew right by her head, but she did not notice, as she watched in slow motion as a few shards impaled her friend. One piece buried itself deep in his thigh, another caught his arm, but the worst was the piece that struck his head, the blood pouring down into his eye, and streaking his face. Without thought for her safety, she rushed forward, catching Rodney as he fell.

Rodney slumped into Teyla's arms, unconscious. A few seconds later, Ronon reached them, John Sheppard just behind him.  
"What happened" asked Ronon?  
"Would you believe an exploding tree root?" Teyla attempted to smile, but somehow it was difficult to see the humour in the situation with Rodney lying bleeding in her arms.  
"How bad is it?" asked John in a concerned voice.  
She could see now that the head wound was not deep but messy. Why did head wounds always bleed so much? The injury to the arm was not serious, but wound to his thigh was another matter. Teyla was no doctor, but she knew enough about battle wounds to realise it would be dangerous to remove the shard of broken wood.  
"It's serious John, I'm not sure it would be safe to move him. We need to keep him still to slow the bleeding."  
"I'll run back to the gate, fetch Dr Keller and the jumper."  
"Better take Ronon with you, just in case you run into any trouble." Teyla suggested.  
"You'll be OK?" John asked her.  
"I'll be fine".

Except that Teyla wasn't fine. As she watched John rush off with Ronon following, Teyla prayed silently to the Ancestors that they would have enough time. She had already lost one lover, and she did not think she could bear to lose Rodney as well. It had been nearly a year ago, when she was a prisoner of the wraith hybrid Michael. Kanaan, the Athosian who had been her lover and the father of her unborn son, had been captured and enslaved by Michael. Even though he had been turned into a hybrid, Kanaan hadn't forgotten her. When one of Michael's henchmen was about to shoot Teyla with a captured P90, he stood in front of her, sacrificing his own life to save Teyla and her unborn son.

Shortly afterwards, Teyla's son had been born, but Teyla could not feel any joy in the arrival of a new life. She was suffering from something Dr Keller called post natal depression. No one in Atlantis condemned her when she rejected the child, and a nanny was found for the boy. She walked the corridors like a ghost, sat alone in the commissary. Most people seemed to sense she wanted to be alone, but not Rodney. That first day, he walked into the room, saw her eating alone, and sat down next to her. Rodney immediately started chatting about his latest research, his arguments with Radek Zalenka, a computer game he was playing with John, all the normal routine of life in Atlantis. At first Teyla was annoyed, wondering why he couldn't get the hint and leave her alone, but there was something soothing about the sound of Rodney's voice. So she sat there and listened while he talked and ate.

Every day, Rodney would come and sit by her at dinner, and talk, and soon Teyla realised she was looking out for him. She started coming to his lab, and Rodney would cheerfully describe his latest research project, not seeming to mind if Teyla did not understand. There were times when John Sheppard took him off world on missions, and somehow Teyla's life seemed more hollow and empty than before. Three months after the birth of her son, Teyla realised she wanted to see him. She was nervous that she would not feel a connection with her child, so she convinced Rodney to come with her for moral support. The sight of Rodney awkwardly trying to hold the tiny baby made her smile for the first time since Kanaan's death. Without realising it, Teyla had started to fall in love again.

Teyla did what she could to make Rodney comfortable, and clean the blood from his face. She tried to stay calm, to stop the tight knot of fear and despair that knotted her stomach. Time seemed to drag, and she wondered if John had reached the gate yet. She was relieved when Rodney stirred, the eyes, blue as the ring of the ancestors opened wide in confusion and pain.  
"God I hurt everywhere." he complained. "what happened?"  
"I'm not sure," Teyla replied. " you stepped on the tree root, and it just exploded."  
"Am I dying?" Rodney asked, in a worried voice.  
"No Rodney, you are going to be fine." Teyla put as much reassurance into her voice as she could.  
"John and Ronon are fetching help. They will be back soon with a jumper."  
Rodney must have sensed her fears, as he did not look convinced. "There is something you aren't telling me." he accused her." How bad is it really.?"  
Teyla decided it might be better if she told him the truth.  
"Most of your wounds are minor, but you have received a serious injury to your right thigh. You need to stay calm, to slow your heart, so you will not bleed as much."  
"How am I supposed to be calm when I'm bleeding to death." Rodney was starting to panic.  
"Please Rodney, stay calm, John will not be long I'm sure."  
Rodney saw the worry on her face, and something else, a haunted look he had seen before after Kanaan died.  
Suddenly his panic was forgotten as his fear for Teyla overwhelmed him.  
"What's wrong Teyla?" he asked her in a soft tone of voice.  
Teyla stared into those intense blue eyes, filled with concern, and suddenly she had to tell him what was in her heart.  
"Rodney, you can't die, I won't let you. I could not bear to loose someone else I love."  
Rodney's eyes opened very wide in astonishment.  
"Really, you love me?" he asked her.  
"I think I have done for some time now, but it was not till I thought I might loose you that I realised the truth." she replied.  
"I love you too." Rodney blurted out, then smiled his most beautiful smile.  
Teyla leaned over to gently kiss him on the forehead. Rodney reached out and took her hand, and held it as tightly as he could, as if it was a lifeline. He was still holding it when John arrived with the jumper to take them back to Atlantis.


End file.
